So, it has been a while since I have shared a thought or three. I have been thinking about back up individual sights lately. I do tend to use scope mounts or optic mounts that are of the quick disconnect variety. I use these because even a quality optic can fail. At the range, on the farm or lord forbid when you need it the most. The QD feature allows for an easy and quick removal of the optic. The shooter can get the BUIS in the game in short order.
The idea I am having is that I know I will not be using a QD mount on the rifle I am getting from Charlie. I do feel the urge to have a set of sights installed, however, I know that I will be using the scope almost all the time. I can remove the sights for a bit of weight savings and carry them in the range bag for use if I care to.
Is anyone compelled to have BUIS installed on the rifle? On one of my 5.56 carbines, I have BUIS along with a compact TA44 ACOG. On another carbine I have a 1-4 power Trijicon scope. On that carbine I use offset sights. If the scope fails or fogs, I can rotate the rifle about thirty degrees and get back in the game.
I seem to gravitate towards QD mounts myself. I also like it when I can cowittness the BUIS with the optic but this only works with long eye relief variables on the 1x setting and then red dots. Even with the most dependable optics I just don't feel a rifle is complete without irons.
I bought a set of offsets for my nephew a couple years back, they work fine for the range but busting through thick brush they seem to be one more thing to hang up on stuff. They also caused some grief getting them to play well with the scope mount without messing up the eye relief. I've opted not to get a set so far.
I like a good set of irons for backup, even with a good scope.
There used to be a thing called a tip-off mount. I think Redfield made it. Basically, it was hinged scope rings affixed to the base by a magnet. You could bump it from right to left and the scope would swing to that side leaving the iron sights usable. It had repeatability issues, and I believe it has been discontinued.
I'm with jtallen. QD scope mount. I haven't used one, but don't see why it wouldn't work. The only disadvantage over the tip-off is that when the scope is separated from the sight path you have to tend to it.
See also: See through mounts. But they're going to be kind'a high, and decidedly non-tactical.
Charlie wrote: See also: See through mounts. But they're going to be kind'a high, and decidedly non-tactical.
I tried a couple different see-through mounts, one a set of rings with a ring underneath and another was a three sided rail with a hollow middle. The rings gave the best sight picture on the irons but neither were very good and both put the scope to high for me.
For me,........cheek weld is ALWAYS the main priority when it comes to shooting consistently and accurately. My opinion is it is better to not have BUIS than compromise the cheek weld with an overly high set of rings or a mount. The offset Knights Armament sights are my preferred set if I am using NON-QD rings or mount.......that or no sights at all.
I agree with JT its best to cowittness your BUIS. I have them on my pistol. On my Comp rifle I have a set of 45 degree offsets to the right of the scope, you simply cant the rifle 45 degrees using the same cheek weld line them up and fire. You don't even have to move your head just stay in the gun and rotate.. A lot of times I decide that I will use the scope approaching the shooting point, then when on the ground and having difficulty (due to awkward position) getting a good site or even locating targets close in I simply cant it and use the BUIS which inside 150m I have a fairly good chance of hitting 1 moa steel. If I had to deploy they would be on my rifle. It you want something that really works on the AR10 platform this is it. Everytime I use them in a stage I have a lot of other shooters asking about them. They take less than a second to successfully transition to, not to many things work that well.
I am retired on a fixed income. LED. These are cheapo proof of concept. If they work I am going to pick up some Burris micro dots that can withstand 80 G's
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